Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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14485 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Caroline Fielden

Reviewed August 2018

Two weeks of wildlife bliss

This was our second trip to Costa Rica (we travelled with Exodus 3 years ago and loved it) and it didn’t disappoint. If you love the natural world this trip is for you. The entire holiday is spent immersed in the diversity of nature visiting some of Costa Rica’s amazing locations From tiny leaf cutter ants to majestic whales this trip offers it all. Each stop on the itinerary offers its own unique view of the natural world with a abundance of wildlife in stunning surroundings.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole trip was memorable it would be hard to narrow it down. We saw numerous wild sloths (actually moving - very unusual) the magnificent show of the humming birds, snakes and lizards. The moment which took my breath away were the close encounters with humpback mothers and their calves and two sleepy tapir who were totally relaxed in our presence.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pedro had an obvious love of his country and its wildlife and was enthusiastic about even the tiniest animal. He loved his hikes through the rain-forest and gave up his free day to lead walks through Saverge's cloud forest.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If Exodus don't change their itinerary consider paying extra for a tour to Sirena rather than San Pedrillio while staying on the Osa Penninsula. The wildlife in Sirena is more abundant and varied. Although the trip notes recommend taking dollars, take as many colones as you can as some places don't give the best exchange rate when paying in dollars. Don't forget a good poncho and dry bags, it will rain!

John Saxton

Reviewed August 2018

Brilliant

Certainly the way to see Namibia – early starts frequently and rough roads but all fades into significance when put into perspective. If your’re considering it, but are uncertain, just book it and enjoy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult. Standing on top of a massive sand dune at sunrise? The 800 year old dead acacia trees against the white salt pan, red dunes and blue sky in Deadvlei? Or elephants drinking at a water hole at sunset? I cannot decide.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Ronney, was excellent. Nothing was too much trouble, constantly attentive, we lacked nothing. He seems to do the camping trips end-to-end so there's a good change of getting him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In July/ August the desert is COLD. A duvet jacket is not out of place, as are fleece trousers, warm socks and a hat. The days can also be cold despite the sun, only warming up towards midday. As you go north, after the third day, it gets warmer and the warm gear becomes unnecessary. Camping is fun and confortable, the tents are easy to put up (the staff are supposed to do it, but we found it more fun to do it ourselves, which they appreciated) but getting organised in the dark in the tent is a pain. I would recommend a lantern to hang from the centre loop of the tent roof (intended for mozzie nets which aren't necessary most of the time) and of course good head torches are vital. Don't bring a cheap one. Toilets at the campsites are immaculate at virtually all the sites. As are the service station toilets - you could eat off the floor in most of them. Even the longdrop toilets (thankfully very few and none in the campsites) are clean and don't smell. The whole country is clean: I don't think I saw a single piece of litter the whole trip. It puts our country to shame. Everything gets a bit dusty and sandy. Packing clothes and sleeping bag into dustproof bags (or even drybags) helps to keep you organised and everything stays relatively dustfree. For all but the most hardened campers, an inflatable pillow is useful. If for nothing else, sitting on it helps iron out some of the jarring on the dirt roads!

Bryan Mason

Reviewed August 2018

Fabulous variety and rich culture

A very broad tour of the principal cultural and wildlife sights. Fantastic sights ranging from Buddhist sculptures, tea plantations to leopards and elephants in their natural habitat. Great food, landscapes and experiences.

Most Inspirational Moment

The best moments include visiting the Buddha’s tooth relic in Kandy, spotting leopards in Yalla National Park and travelling on a packed train from the Hill country to the valley while viewing stunning scenery through the (open) train carriage door.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Neelaka was consistently upbeat, exceptionally informative about the country and always on hand to smooth out any issues and enable the tour to get on with enjoying the country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the rain and cold In Nuwara Eliya, to eating a lot of delicious food and to open your eyes to an extremely wide range of scenery, climate and wildlife.

Helen West

Reviewed August 2018

Superb Alpine walking holiday with inimitably wonderful chalet hosts and walking guide

I simply cannot fault the Mont Blanc Highlights holiday with Exodus Travels. The walks were challenging and wonderfully varied in terms of terrain, steepness, flora and fauna and views – which were utterly worth the exertion.
Chalet Chamonix was an absolute dream, made so by the hosts Sarah and Rich, whose hospitality knew no bounds. So warm, thoughtful, intuitive. Amazingly gourmet cuisine, and they also made my birthday there very special too. I cannot rate them highly enough. So sad that this is their last season!!
Mark, the walking guide is super fit and knows his stuff re geography and points of interest. He is kind too and although we had a schedule to stick to, he catered for the abilities of the entire group, in terms of sufficient R&R along the routes.
Chalet Chamonix is in a perfect location for a stroll into the shopping and relaxing delights of the town. Huge lido too, for swimming plus fun slides in a separate area.

Most Inspirational Moment

Mine was a non-walking moment actually! I adored taking the cable car to Aiguille du Midi, to see Mont Blanc from as close as one can without climbing. This was an optional trip on the day off. Seems pricey at first but absolutely worth every cent. The views, the altitude, such a privilege.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mark, the walking guide is super fit and knows his stuff re geography and points of interest. He is kind too and although we had a schedule to stick to, he catered for the abilities of the entire group, in terms of sufficient R&R along the routes. I felt very safe under his guidance and he cleverly came up with a Plan B on the spur of the moment when my walking boots failed me! I whizzed back to the chalet for my back-up footwear and met up with the group, so I didn't miss out on the first day's walking - most grateful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take tried and tested walking shoes / boots. Check laces are secure - not fraying, and soles are well and truly firmly in place. Sounds so obvious but I hadn't worn my boots in some time. Luckily I had a pair of walking shoes with me to use instead.

Philip Wood

Reviewed August 2018

Costa Rica

The enthusiasm for wildlife of our guide Alex castro really made the trip special

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably snorkeling whales, turtles and humming birds

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent see previous comment

Advice for Potential Travellers

You have to have an interest in flora and fauna

Marilyn Scott

Reviewed August 2018

Very well organise and planned. Our group was friendly and supportive

Enjoyed every day. Great group.

Most Inspirational Moment

Stepping out of my comfort zone in a supported environment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good. Worked well with group. Very organised .

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take part in the varied experiences. Take up challenges and 😊 enjoy.

Phillip Heap

Reviewed August 2018

Pompei and Amalfi Coast

A great trip well organised. On the family trip, but with a teenager she was a little board. Very suitable for young children. Felt the walk was too short for adults around Vesuvius crater, so that was disappointing. Capri was spectacular, but again the tour around the island was very short, so you felt you didn’t full see the caves.

Most Inspirational Moment

Pompei was sensational. So was Capri

Thoughts on Group Leader

I thought he was superb for adults, but not necessarily for kids. Very helpful and sociable

Advice for Potential Travellers

Check carefully. Not a lot for teenagers. I chose the trip specifically for that reason, but nothing for them to do. The adult trip, walking, seem to have a more adventurous trip. This family trip is for younger children, my daughter, age 14, didn't enjoy it much. Make sure there are lots of other travellers the same age, otherwise they will be bored in the evenings, nothing to do in the village

Caroline Richardson

Reviewed August 2018

Wow, wow, wow!!!

Costa Rica is a fabulous country and well worth the long flight. We went as a family of 5, parents of nearly 50, my mum in her early 70s and 2 girls aged 10 and 12. We were looking for a change from the usual pool / beach holiday and gosh, it was different!!!
The wildlife is nothing short of phenomenal. We saw spiders, snakes, macaws, crocodiles, lizards, fantastic birds, frogs etc…… the list just goes on. The plantlife was great – plants we have at home in pots in the house growing tens of feet high in their natural habitat – it was quite something to see.
It was also very educational, not just seeing plants and animals in their natural environment, but also other experiences such as the trips to the chocolate / cacao plantation and the sloth sanctuary. And it was great fun, especially the white water rafting and the zipwiring in Arenal.
It was however, quite exhausting. I must admit we were not quite prepared for the pace, the early mornings and the long coach trips, but, in retrospect, they were all for a reason and all worth it for the sights and sounds and experiences in each location.
And of course, I must mention our guide Glenda and our driver Mauricio who were quite simply, marvellous. Their professionalism, efficiency and enthusiasm for their country made the holiday very special for us.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think we all enjoyed the quiet boat trip in Tortuguero - how Glenda managed to find a waterway all to ourselves given the amount of traffic on the main river I will never know. But the chance to see turtles, crocodiles, various birds including toucans and macaws, monkeys, lizards etc in their natural habitat with the added highlight of the 2 dolphins was marvellous. The white water rafting and zip wiring were such fun and we all enjoyed the adrenalin rush! And seeing something new almost at every turn was great. Traipsing back to our room one afternoon we came across an armadillo, seeing a coati in the grounds of the hotel, howler monkeys moving across in the trees above the swimming pool... etc. I could go on.......

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nothing short of fabulous. Glenda was so knowledgeable and her telescope managed to pick out things that we could not even see with the naked eye. Mauricio was always there incase anyone wanted to finish a walk early and his keen eye also spotted other treats hidden in the trees. Glenda's enthusiasm for her country and her willingness to share this with us was much appreciated. Our experience of Costa Rica would not have been half as good without her...

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is hot and humid in August and clothes all get very damp. Anything that gets wet, stays wet. So pack clothes in ziplock bags and keep them zipped wherever possible. Dry-wicking clothes are perfect and do not bring anything that cannot dry easily. A ball or something for the kids to play with in the pools is a great idea. And test your waterproofs before you travel. These need to be industrial strength as when it rains I mean it really rains!! Stand in the shower for 15 minutes on full blast and check those seams!!! If your kids are remotely travel sick - think about travel bands on their wrists as the roads are windy and bumpy. Connecting or family rooms are rare however if you have young kids the rooms normally have 2 double beds so you could all sleep together although it might be quite tight! A zoom camera is a must and maybe, as we did, another soft bag to throw in the washing and / or hiking boots when these are not being worn will keep the suitcases relatively clean and organised.

Brenda Howcroft

Reviewed August 2018

Awesome mountain views with hospitality to match

Point to point through the Mountains of Northern Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo. You climb at least one mountain a day, enjoying the view and a packed lunch at the top. If you crave ‘the middle of nowhere’ you will love this trek.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was humbling to meet the big hearted people of these mountains, so hard working, whether it be trekking with horses to get the luggage to the next shepherds huts, bringing tents to our campsite or providing banquets of artisan food using meagre facilities.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dorian hails from these mountains which is a real bonus. The group was a competitive lot, decked out in performance logging technology, at times they craved more information about the daily challenges ahead.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Shepherds huts were same sex dorms, either mattresses on the floor or bunks, toilets could be a hole in the ground, showers a bucket of cold water close to the hole in the ground. at one place the ladies walked up the hill, round the corner and bathed in the stream! When the hotels nights came we made the most of the facilities! Food is artisan, handmade cheese, home baked bread, lots of tomatoes, peppers and cucumber. Interesting soups, spinach pie and the famous flee pie. It's chilly in those hills at night bring a fleece I managed without Lekke, survived with Euros Head torch was really useful to navigate the accommodation/read at night Arrive for this well trained, it's a tough trek, lots of steep uphill, steep downhill, rough terrain. Crazy running 5K/10K/half marathons/marathons seemed to be a popular pastime of our group.

CLARE HUDSON

Reviewed August 2018

COSTA RICA FAMILY ADVENTURE

This was a really memorable holiday. Costa Rica is an extraordinary country with a plethora of fantastic birds, animals, and flowers to see – and the big appeal of it when travelling with children is that on any expedition you ALWAYS see something. Hotel gardens themselves are places where anything can happen – I had one of the most exciting bird sightings (a trogon) in the garden of our hotel in Dominical – where we also saw a boa constrictor in the stream by the hotel. It really did feel like an adventure – the itinerary packs so many experiences into a short space of time. It was great for our 11 year old daughter to have other children in the group to make friends with – that made her braver and more tolerant of some of the long journeys and physical challenges of so much torrential rain. What makes it all work is the style of the tour – yes, there is a busy itinerary but our guide always sought to offer choices of places to eat and things to do, so it felt quite organic and we never felt over-managed or regimented. Her deep local knowledge, and that of the driver made a huge difference. Costa Ricans are friendly, efficient and proud of their country and that made this trip special too.

Most Inspirational Moment

My daughter and I loved the rafting trip at Sarapiqui - which was the "floating safari" rather than the white water version as we felt too nervous to do that. In fact, because of heavy rain the night before the water was quite stirred up so it was actually quite thrilling. The guide on this raft was wonderful - he made it really fun. She also loved the zip wiring at Sarapiqui, and we all enjoyed the hot springs at La Fortuna - absolutely magical in the twilight. But the stars of the show were all the animals we saw - especially sloths and monkeys, and endless iguanas!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Katia was one in a million - so knowledgeable and such a brilliant communicator. Long journeys were broken up with really good background on where we were and what we were seeing, and she gave us really good historical, cultural and social background too. - As a birdwatcher I really appreciated her willingness to take us on 6am bird spotting strolls. I would never have seen half so much if she hadn't shown me it - and her passion for flora and fauna is infectious. I will never forget her detailed description of the social organisation of the leaf cutter ant! She is a born leader - always managing to make things feel organic and informal, while doing masses of contingency planning behind the scenes. She also treated us all as individuals and sought to offer options that would appeal to each of us. Her local knowledge of restaurants was invaluable - she gave us choices and took us to great places.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We went in the rainy season - and boy, did it rain. Not just an hour or two a day, but torrentially for hours on end, especially on the Caribbean side where it rains more or less all the year round. And when it isn't raining it is more often than not very overcast. Once we got to the Pacific side the weather was much better - sunshine for at least half of every day. So be prepared for the weather - it can be demoralising. Others have mentioned the difficulty in drying clothes out - our guide was ingenious and took us twice to local laundrettes where a service wash was efficient and far cheaper than in the hotels. Returned either same day or following morning. Hotels are simple - but we liked the simplest one, at Cahuita, the best because you could hear the ocean from the garden. We had a miserable time on the optional turtle trip at Tortuguero locally run, not organised by Exodus. We had to walk through rainforest to get to the beach and, because of heavy rain, floodwater was nearly up to our knees - the pitch dark and the warnings about going single file because of the risk of snakes resulted in our daughter being absolutely terrified. We did see turtles but by this time she was unable to enjoy and just wanted to feel safe again. It felt very overcrowded and not really in the interests of the turtles. But the river trips made going to Tortuguero worth it. Do consider doing what we did: we booked a hotel on the Pacific coast and stayed on for five more nights after the tour relaxing, swimming and whale watching. Really worth it - after travelling all that way.

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